YouSaid · the spoken record

Ritscher

lines on the record: 109
first: 2021-12-02
most recent: 2023-12-04
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“It is administered in accordance with the Team’s mandate to promote accountability for ISIL crimes throughout the world, and where necessary in consultation with the Government of Iraq. So far, 17 Member States have requested assistance from UNITAD to support their national prosecutions. The ability of the Team to collect testimonial evidence from witnesses in direct response to those requests, combined with its capacity to identify corroborating internal ISIL documentation from battlefield evidence, has been of significant assistance in supporting investigations by national jurisdictions within those Member States. Several of the investigations supported by UNITAD are expected to lead to judicial proceedings in the Member States in question in the near future.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“Promoting accountability for international crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq means delivering tailored assistance in accordance with the needs of the respective investigative court or judge. That could pertain to sharing evidentiary information but can also involve conducting specific training and sharing experience and best practices in terms of handling the huge volume of evidence already in the Iraqi judiciary’s possession. As conveyed in my previous report to the Council, UNITAD has been providing support for their ongoing investigations and prosecutions not only to the Iraqi authorities but also to Member States in various parts of the world. That support continued to increase during the previous reporting period.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“UNITAD is firmly committed to supporting Iraq in achieving that goal, in addition to its obligation and commitment to upholding the policies and best practices of the United Nations. The sharing of evidence with the Iraqi judiciary for criminal proceedings can therefore take place only once the respective legal requirements and standards are met in terms of substantive and procedural law. Additionally, I would like to emphasize that information-sharing with the Iraqi judiciary to support investigative work and ongoing judicial proceedings means a lot more than just handing over a huge box of evidentiary material comparable to thousands, even millions, of puzzle pieces.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“In anticipation of that, a series of meetings was held to further familiarize relevant Iraqi experts in the listing and application processes. One of our key goals is supporting Iraq in playing a leading role in holding ISIL members accountable for international crimes. As I mentioned, UNITAD is committed to building the capacities of the judiciary in Iraq to work for fair and just trials in accordance with the applicable standards of the United Nations. We are also encouraging the Iraqi Council of Representatives to consider adopting adequate domestic legislation on core international crimes, such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. UNITAD stands ready to provide technical assistance to that end, and the recent Government formation gives us hope that such legislation could be prioritized on the agenda soon.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“UNITAD remains committed to improving modalities of information-sharing with its Iraqi counterparts. Time and again, the Team has expanded and further operationalized arrangements with members of the Iraqi judiciary to allow information to be shared on financial crimes committed in connection with ISIL activities in Iraq. The Team continues to find ways to further share information in line with its terms of reference. In that regard, I remain hopeful that a memorandum of understanding between UNITAD and the National Security Advisory of Iraq will soon be concluded in order to enable the sharing of information for the purpose of supporting the United Nations sanctions regime. The memorandum of understanding, which was jointly drafted, is awaiting the approval process within the Government of Iraq.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“The work is done jointly between the United Nations offices concerned, including the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism, and the Iraqi national authorities, in particular the National Security Advisory. UNITAD will intensify that important work in accordance with its mandate to contribute to reconciliation and security in Iraq. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to our Iraqi counterparts. In October I had the honour of meeting with the new President of Iraq, as well as the Prime Minister and the National Security Adviser, and I have continued meeting with many other counterparts, including the President of the Supreme Judicial Council. I am grateful for the renewed support to my Team’s work and for the fruitful cooperation on our existing partnership, notably at the level of the judiciary.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“More than 30 individual local contractors have been recruited and trained in best practices for evidence collection, preservation and archiving, in order to support the work and sustain that key expertise in Iraq. UNITAD has been working as part of the United Nations system-wide efforts to address the issue of the repatriation of Iraqi nationals from camps in neighbouring countries. Most recently, just last month, we took part in a meeting of the Technical Working Group for the Implementation of the Global Framework for United Nations Support on Syria/Iraq Third Country National Returnees, as members of the subgroup on security and accountability.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“Based on that agreement, a forthcoming campaign will be organized to collect those reference samples for the purpose of identifying human remains currently held in Iraq, which will eventually enable survivors to mourn their loved ones. As part of that programme, psychosocial support training is provided to Iraqi authorities in order to ensure that international best practices are maintained when dealing with victims and survivors. Efforts to preserve the evidence of ISIL-related crimes also continued during the reporting period. The Team has so far converted 5.5 million physical pages of documentary evidence into usable digital formats. We are supporting digitization activities at six different sites in Iraq, with a throughput of approximately 100,000 pages per week.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“My Team also continued to support the excavation of several ISIL-related mass graves in Iraq, according to the annual road map agreed to with the Government of Iraq and international partners. The road map’s implementation has been made possible through close cooperation with the Mass Graves Directorate of Iraq’s Martyrs’ Foundation and the medical-legal directorate of its Ministry of Health, as well as with field-based assistance from Kurdish authorities. In close coordination with the same Iraqi counterparts, UNITAD has reached an agreement with the federal authorities of Germany on collecting data and DNA reference samples from the Yazidi community residing in Germany.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“It was the first of its kind on that scale and brought together a range of renowned academics and practitioners, who provided in-depth knowledge on issues of international criminal justice. Along the same lines, in October we held a pilot training course on building cases related to international crimes for 11 investigative judges and prosecutors from the Kurdish region. That will be critical in providing technical assistance to judges on international criminal law and helping to ensure sustainable capacity at the practitioner level for investigating and prosecuting ISIL members for the crimes they committed in Iraq in fair and evidence-based trials in line with international standards.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“In collaboration with UNESCO, that ongoing work will provide the basis for a case assessment report, giving a detailed picture of this aspect of ISIL‘s heinous crimes — crimes that targeted the history and culture of Iraq and that of humanity at large. In parallel, the Team kept advancing continued support to capacity-enhancement initiatives aimed at directly serving our Iraqi counterparts. Only a few days ago we organized an intensive one-week training course for 19 judges from across Iraq, including the Kurdish region, on international humanitarian and criminal law and its practical use, hosted by the International Nuremberg Principles Academy in Germany.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“Importantly, UNITAD started to advance with its investigations into ISIL’s destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq. Those investigations represent a breakthrough in the landscape of core international crimes investigations. So far, the evidence obtained shows that religious and cultural sites were either intentionally destroyed by ISIL or taken over and occupied, sometimes for military purposes. That resulted in severe damage or destruction to those sites. While the motives and methods adopted by the perpetrators are still being reviewed and analysed, it appears that explosives and heavy equipment were used to destroy many of those heritage sites. Several ISIL fighters responsible for those crimes have already been identified.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“In that respect, the Team identified a number of ISIL leaders and members originating from areas nearby, but also from foreign countries, who considerably participated in those attacks. The Team‘s investigations into the development and use of chemical and biological weapons by ISIL have notably progressed. Evidence collected continues to support the notion that ISIL manufactured and produced chemical rockets and mortars, ammunition, warheads and improvised explosive devices, in addition to the development, testing, weaponization and deployment of a range of chemical agents highlighted in my previous report. The Team met with affected communities and Iraqi authorities at several incident sites and has focused on the 8 March 2016 attack against Tazah Khurmatu, which has generated significant volumes of battlefield evidence.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“The evidence collected and the analysis conducted thus far substantiate preliminary findings from my previous report (see S/2022/434) that ISIL commissioned acts such as the seizing of properties, the looting and destruction of churches and the commission of sexual violence against, and the enslavement and forcible religious conversions of, members of the Christian community. Those acts constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes, including, but not limited to, forcible transfer, persecution, pillage, sexual violence and slavery and other inhumane acts, such as forced conversion, as well as intentional destruction of cultural heritage and religious sides protected under international humanitarian law.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“Since I previously reported to the Council (see S/PV.9059), the Team has continued to implement its independent investigative activities in accordance with its mandate and in compliance with its terms of reference. Various lines of investigations have been developed, from purely researching endeavours to dynamic case-building strategies. All that investigative work would not be possible without the close cooperation of the national authorities of Iraq, including the Kurdish region. Allow me to highlight some examples of the progress made. A key outcome has been the completion of the case assessment focused on crimes committed against the Christian community in Iraq, in particular in the Ninawa plains.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“Mr. Ritscher: I am honoured to address the Security Council today to deliver the ninth report of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD). Over the reporting period, my Team continued to advance its investigations into international crimes committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) against all communities of Iraq. The Team continuously engages in constructive and supportive dialogue with Iraqi counterparts, notably with the judiciary, as well as with Iraqi political authorities. Furthermore, the considerations and concerns of all communities impacted by ISIL crimes in Iraq remain at the forefront of the Team’s investigative work.”
2022-12-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9206 (2022) · source
“Only by prosecuting and referring such barbaric acts as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide will we be able to deliver justice to the many victims and survivors and ensure that their voices are heard. Only by remaining impartial and serving all the communities affected can we contribute to broader reconciliation processes in Iraq. UNITAD will continue its work on that path to accountability. I thank the Council for its support.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“We were sitting on the floor of a survivor’s house, still under construction, on the outskirts of the Khanke refugee camp, where Yazidi survivors stressed the importance of the genocide conviction in Frankfurt and told us that it was what they want to see done in Iraq. I reiterated UNITAD’s commitment to working for that goal, a commitment that we owe to the survivors, to international justice and to humankind at large. The crimes committed by ISIL are some of the most gruesome acts we have seen in recent history. The individuals responsible for such acts must be identified and ultimately tried and convicted for their crimes at the national and international level.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“The work with the joint investigation team also enables us to better identify and exploit linkages between foreign terrorist fighters across jurisdictions so as to facilitate prosecutions in a number of Member States. Three weeks ago I conducted a joint field visit to Sinjar and Duhok with Ms. Alice Nderitu, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. We met with survivors of the genocide and of ISIL’s sexual slavery, some of whom obtained their freedom only a couple of years ago and some of whom, I should emphasize, still have relatives enslaved by ISIL to this very day. As I listened to those young people’s thoughts and concerns, I saw pain and grief but also resilience and determination.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“That assistance included providing expert testimony on ISIL practices regarding enlistment, conscription and the use of child soldiers. The Team has also continued to support the joint investigation team created by the national prosecution authorities of Sweden and France to adjudicate core international crimes committed by ISIL against the Yazidi community in 2015. UNITAD is assisting with a range of investigative steps, including focused interviews with Yazidi witnesses in Iraq and elsewhere and the collection of battlefield evidence related to Yazidi enslavement networks, as well as searches within our evidence holdings and database. In that way we aim to minimize the retraumatization of victims, in line with our commitment to a victim- and survivor- centric approach.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“That also affects the assistance we provide to jurisdictions of Member States currently investigating and prosecuting the conduct of individuals affiliated with ISIL. The Investigative Team increased its support to ongoing domestic proceedings in several Member States, in consultation with the Government of Iraq. As of today, a total of 15 Member States have requested assistance from UNITAD. Demands continue to increase, with more jurisdictions looking into requesting assistance. Perhaps the most notable contribution in that context is the landmark conviction for the crime of genocide of ISIL member Taha Al-Jumailly in Frankfurt last year. We also supported the Swedish Prosecution Authority during the trial of a woman who was charged and finally convicted for the war crime of enlisting her child as a soldier during her time with ISIL.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“We are also grateful for the recent commitments of additional funds made by the Netherlands and the United States of America. To date, 15 States have provided extrabudgetary funds to UNITAD, which is very encouraging. At the same time, we call on more States to consider contributing financially to our work to enable us to take advantage of existing and future justice opportunities. We encourage States to make unearmarked contributions to support our general operations so that we can maintain an agile, flexible and needs-based management of the funds. Without extrabudgetary funding, UNITAD’s investigations and broader operations in pursuit of accountability will have to be curtailed.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“I can compare the restoration of cultural heritage sites to our work at UNITAD in the pursuit of accountability and justice. It takes years and is a painstaking process, but it is work that must be done. At UNITAD, we are committed to continuing our investigation to ensure that the ISIL members responsible for atrocity crimes in Iraq are held accountable before the competent courts in Iraq and elsewhere. Extrabudgetary contributions to the UNITAD Trust Fund have proven to be vital to our operations and the continuation of many investigative leads and distinct projects. Therefore, we continue to rely on voluntary contributions from Member States. We welcome the recent contributions by Denmark, France, India and Slovakia.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“Just last week, we held the fourth thematic round table of the UNITAD-non-governmental organizations dialogue forum, which focused on ISIL’s destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq, an area in which UNITAD will be expanding its investigations in the coming months. ISIL’s vicious destruction of cultural heritage was an attempt to erase Iraq’s diverse cultural history. After the briefing I provided to the Security Council in December (see S/PV.8914), I visited the site of Nimrud, which had been blown up by ISIL in 2015 — a 3,000-year-old site reduced to a pile of rubble. I was devasted by the destruction of that and other cultural heritage sites I visited recently. At the same time, I continue to be impressed by Iraq’s ongoing efforts to restore those sites.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“Last month, in partnership with the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the United Nations Development Programme in Iraq, UNITAD organized in Baghdad the second high-level conference on the theme “Interfaith statement on the survivors and victims of ISIL”. The conference brought together religious leaders from all governorates of Iraq and its diverse religious communities, who confirmed that ensuring accountability for ISIL’s crimes and providing justice to all victims, regardless of their faith, are important steps towards reconciliation. UNITAD continues to have an important role to play in those processes.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“UNITAD stands ready to provide technical advice and to work with the Iraqi Council of Representatives, as well as the judiciary, going forward. We hope that there will be positive developments in the coming months, and we call on the international community to support Iraq in those efforts. My team and I feel privileged that we get to experience the beauty of Iraq, its historic sights and the hospitality of its diverse communities at first hand. For me, community engagement and being part of an ongoing dialogue with civil society are key objectives for UNITAD.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“Accordingly, the Team expanded and further operationalized arrangements with members of the Iraqi judiciary that allowed for the sharing of information relevant to financial crimes committed in connection with ISIL activities in Iraq. A general overview of key investigative findings of the crimes committed against the Yazidi community and Tikrit Air Academy personnel was presented to members of the National Coordinating Committee in Baghdad. UNITAD believes it essential to seize every opportunity to hold ISIL perpetrators accountable for the core international crimes committed in Iraq — war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. There are ongoing discussions in Iraq to adopt the necessary legal framework to deal with ISIL crimes as core international crimes before the Iraqi courts.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“As agreed during the strategic discussion workshop and at the Ministry’s request, we have been working in coordination with Iraqi Embassies in different countries to organize a series of special events to promote accountability for ISIL’s international crimes. In April, we held an event in Berlin entitled “Investigating financial dimensions of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide: the international legal and regulatory framework”. UNITAD, Iraq and Germany renewed their commitment to further investigating the financial dimensions of ISIL’s core international crimes. The upcoming special event to be held this week is also part of our global cooperation with Iraq. Consistent with its terms of reference, UNITAD is committed to improving the modalities of information-sharing with the Government of Iraq and the Iraqi judiciary.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“By doing so, we aim to advance justice in the name of the many victims and survivors of the core international crimes committed by ISIL against the people of Iraq. At a strategic discussion workshop held in January with the National Coordinating Committee and chaired by the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, we reflected on our cooperation and jointly defined common areas of priority, including information-sharing and capacity- building with national counterparts and coordinated operations in the areas of mass grave excavations and the return of identified remains of victims to their families. UNITAD’s cooperation with the Iraqi Ministry for Foreign Affairs has advanced significantly over the past six months.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“The recently submitted eighth report to the Security Council (see S/2022/434) covers in greater depth all of the Team’s progress during the reporting period. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Government of Iraq, the Iraqi judiciary and the authorities of the Kurdistan Regional Government for supporting the implementation of our mandate. I have made it a priority to establish and maintain a continuous dialogue with senior members of the Iraqi Government, including the presidency, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the National Security Advisory. Together, we are working towards ensuring accountability for the core international crimes committed by ISIL in evidence-based trials and in accordance with due process and international fair trial standards.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“During the reporting period, the Team conducted interviews with Shia Turkmen boys who were conscripted by ISIL. Those are just some examples of the work that has been done, and continues to be done, by our six investigative and two thematic units, which advance UNITAD’s structural investigations of core international crimes committed against all affected communities in Iraq, including the Christian, Sunni, Shia, Kaka’i, Shabak and Turkmen Shia communities. Our victim- and survivor-centric approach means that each and every person affected matters and all international crimes committed by ISIL members will be thoroughly investigated and their record of evidence duly established. Today’s meeting does not allow me to go into all our work in detail.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“We engaged directly with the competent Iraqi court in that investigation to identify the perpetrators of the massacre, including individuals who are currently held in custody. That is in line with the Team’s intention to intensify the investigations pertaining to crimes committed in Mosul, the capital of the so-called caliphate. UNITAD ensures that investigations into sexual and gender-based crimes committed by ISIL form part of each investigation. As part of that approach, we continue to interview Yazidi women and girls who are survivors of sexual enslavement by ISIL and others who are able to provide information on the perpetrators, including foreign terrorist fighters. Crimes against and affecting children are also considered to be an overarching priority.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“Together with the Permanent Missions of Iraq and Finland to the United Nations in New York, UNITAD is organizing a special public event on the massacre of the personnel of Tikrit Air Academy, which will be held in the Trusteeship Council Chamber on Friday, 10 June, at 1.15 p.m. We will screen a short film about our investigation, followed by an expert panel discussion and interventions from the floor. The event coincides with the eighth anniversary of the massacre. The investigation into the mass execution of approximately 600 Badush prison detainees on 10 June 2014 also continues to gain momentum. That is in large part thanks to the excavation of the Badush Valley mass grave conducted by the Iraqi Mass Grave Directorate, with technical and operational support provided by my Team.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“Our Tikrit Air Academy investigation contributed to the identification of alleged perpetrators from ISIL who have played a prominent role in harassing, abusing and terrorizing the civilian populations of Tikrit and Al-Alam. It revealed that ISIL systematically targeted all people who did not agree with their ideology. It encompasses those belonging or perceived to belong to groups either opposing, not supporting or not aligning themselves with ISIL. This includes the Shia community, those affiliated with Governmental authorities, members of specific tribes and those who had assisted the cadets and military personnel of the Tikrit Air Academy.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“Our investigations will look more closely at the underlying procurement system for these weapons and related financial flows. This entails focusing on the involvement of specific individuals, including those involved in conducting human tests with chemical agents on detained persons. The aftermath of such chemical attacks, namely, severe health problems among survivors and affected communities, continue to this day. UNITAD’s investigations have helped to produce dedicated case files and the identification of those allegedly most responsible for, for example, the crimes committed against the Yazidi community and those committed against the personnel of Tikrit Air Academy, also known as Camp Speicher.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“This is particularly important as tracing the money means mapping the organization, understanding its structure and identifying the hierarchy and those in charge of giving orders. It brings us closer to identifying the individuals most responsible for the range of heinous international crimes committed in Iraq. Since my last briefing, investigations into the development and use of chemical and biological weapons by ISIL are ongoing and have revealed new information. Through field missions to relevant sites, engagement with affected communities and cooperation with Iraqi authorities, the Team collected and preserved testimonial, digital and documentary evidence pertaining to the manufacturing and use of chemical and biological weapons.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“Allow me to highlight a few examples of the progress made within our investigations and the approaches taken towards seeking justice in relation to ISIL’s crimes in Iraq. Investigations into the Bayt Al-Mal — ISIL’s so- called House of Money — have progressed significantly. An initial draft case brief articulates how Bayt Al-Mal provided vital material to and financial support for the overall structure of ISIL, including managing the payments of units that have allegedly committed core international crimes. Bayt Al-Mal was crucial to the daily operations of ISIL. We plan to provide additional strategic reports to our counterparts at the Iraqi judiciary that address the internal functioning of Bayt Al-Mal, to help broaden the understanding of ISIL’s financial activities.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“By doing so, we can reduce search times of databases from days to minutes and help the Iraqi authorities to make full and better use of their own data and records. This undertaking is vital to enabling efficient and fair legal proceedings, and it is critical to preserving the historical record of ISIL’s international crimes in Iraq. All our work continues to be conducted in full compliance with international legal standards and applicable policies of the United Nations. Since I last reported to the Security Council (see S/PV.8914), the Team has successfully made progress in the full range of our investigative activities, such as carrying out witness interviews, conducting analysis of evidence and the drafting of case files.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“Against the backdrop of the challenges posed by the pandemic, we have continued to deliver accountability outcomes for survivors and their families, strengthened our partnerships in the country and throughout the world, and have stepped up our pursuit of accountability and justice for international crimes committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Overall, our evidence collection has surged, as working modalities returned to normal, for instance when it comes to the excavation of mass graves and other field-based activities. During the reporting period, we preserved and converted to digital formats a total of over 4.5 million hard copy pages of documentary evidence from courts across Iraq. This was done in close cooperation with the Iraqi judiciary and the Government of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Regional Government.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“Mr. Ritscher: I am honoured to address the Security Council today as I deliver the eighth report (see S/2022/434) of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD). Over the past six months, the Team continued to make great progress in its investigative work. After more than two years of restrictions and preventive measures, UNITAD is back to its full capacity and, with its growing presence in Iraq, is stronger than ever.”
2022-06-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9059 (2022) · source
“I underline my commitment to the Security Council today to do everything in my power to deliver on the promise we have made to these families and all those impacted by the crimes of ISIL in Iraq.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source
“We now have the chance, collectively, to make such prosecutions the norm, not a celebrated exception. In cooperation with Iraqi authorities and those of the Kurdistan region, together with survivors and with the support of the Council, we are building the evidence that can deliver meaningful justice for all those who suffered from ISIL crimes in Iraq. If we maintain our unity, we can capitalize on the opportunity that is now before us. Next week, I will return to Iraq to attend a return- of-remains ceremony at Kocho village, Sinjar, where UNITAD is supporting the dignified burial of victims of mass killings carried out by ISIL fighters in August 2014. To the survivors and families of victims present, I will bring the same message that I have brought to the Council today. Justice has been slow, but there is now hope.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source
“It was with a deep sense of responsibility that I led the team in charge of prosecuting that case in my former role, and I am delighted that the foresight shown by the Security Council and the Government of Iraq has led to the provision of meaningful support by UNITAD, assisting German prosecutors in securing that conviction. For the first time, the Yazidi community has seen an ISIL member prosecuted in a court of law for the genocidal acts committed against it. The words of Nadia Murad, Yazidi survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate following the judgment yesterday should underline our collective responsibility as we continue this work. She said: “When survivors seek justice, they look for someone to give them hope that justice is possible.” In concluding, allow me to underline the key message I wish to share with the Council today.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source
“This week, we have seen what comprehensive justice means to communities and survivors. Two days ago, a landmark moment was reached in the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt, Germany, through the first-ever conviction of an ISIL member for the crime of genocide. The facts of that case resonate deeply, both because of their brutality and because of their relative normality under ISIL — a 5-year-old Yazidi girl, purchased along with her mother as part of ISIL’s enslavement of their community, left to die chained outside in 50°C heat in Fallujah.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source
“Through our effective engagement with survivors and witnesses, and by exploiting the extensive digital fingerprints left behind by its members in battlefield evidence, we can already tie the actions of individuals to the commission of these crimes. The evidence collected pursuant to our mandate is now capable of supporting trials. Building on that momentum, and in line with our terms of reference, I wish to underline my commitment, at the request of the Government of Iraq, to work with all partners in establishing a domestic legal framework that allows us to harness this evidence in prosecuting ISIL members for international crimes in Iraq. I am grateful for the positive discussions I have already held with Iraqi counterparts in that regard since my appointment.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source
“In taking forward our collaboration with Iraqi authorities, I am conscious of the leadership demonstrated by the Government of Iraq in seeking the assistance of the international community through resolution 2379 (2017). Our goal must be to repay that commitment by providing tangible assistance in the conduct of international-standard trials that reflect the profound impact of ISIL atrocities on all communities of Iraq. As I indicated in my report, I believe the steps to deliver this are clear and achievable. By the end of 2022, UNITAD will have established a cross-cutting and comprehensive legal basis for the prosecution of ISIL members for international crimes committed against a broad range of communities, as well as its chemical-weapons programme and financial support systems.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source
“I am also cognizant that our work in implementing our mandate will not be satisfied through the collection of evidence alone, or through the establishment of an archive or historical record, as valuable as that might be. To deliver on the promise made through resolution 2379 (2017), we must put this evidence to work before competent courts. Reflecting that imperative, we have redoubled our efforts to share knowledge with national authorities in areas that may ultimately support the development of joint case files and the conduct of proceedings in Iraq. That includes the implementation of a digitization project under which 25,000 documents are now being processed every day, as well as ongoing assistance in the excavation of mass graves and the exploitation of digital evidence.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source
“That is reflected in our recent sharing of a comprehensive case brief with the Iraqi judiciary, in line with our mandate and terms of reference, detailing the use by ISIL of money service businesses as key facilitators of their financing. I look forward, in the coming months, to expanding this type of cooperation to hold those who wished to profit from ISIL crimes accountable. That enhanced engagement with Iraqi authorities has been reflected across our work in the past six months. It also reflects a personal priority for me as I take up leadership of the team to identify additional channels through which we can deliver meaningful assistance to our Iraqi counterparts in the highest spirit of cooperation.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source
“We have identified a network of senior ISIL leadership who also acted as trusted financiers, diverting wealth that ISIL gained through pillage, theft of property from targeted communities and the imposition of a systematic and exploitative taxation system imposed on those living under ISIL control. That work has underlined the extensive financial exploitation by ISIL of the most vulnerable communities of Iraq for the personal benefit and profit of its most senior members. Given the scale of damage inflicted on Iraq through that economic exploitation, I am pleased to inform the Council that our work with Iraqi authorities in support of prosecutions of those responsible has deepened significantly.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source
“I can inform the Council today that, in my next briefing, I will present the results of a structural case brief detailing our findings in relation to ISIL’s use of chemical weapons, including legal characterization of the crimes committed in its implementation. It is essential that those who financially supported and profited from ISIL crimes also be brought to justice. That imperative, combined with a drive to understand the economic mechanisms at the heart of ISIL’s operations, have guided the work of our dedicated Financial Crimes Unit. In recent months, our investigations have uncovered the inner workings of the central ISIL treasury, Bayt Al-Mal — or “House of Money” — the central department responsible for the collection, storage, management and movement of its wealth.”
2021-12-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8914 (2021) · source